44. Exercises in Media Diversity
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EXERCISES IN MEDIA DIVERSITY
M. June Allard
Assumption College
Worcester State University Professor Emerita
Pedagogy
These exercises are designed as outside–of-class field assignments with in-class discussion of the
results. They can be adapted for online classes and most could be conducted as group projects.
They can easily become writing assignments.
Instructions
The media assignments are suitable for individuals or groups. There are a number of assignments
that can easily be expanded for larger classes. For example, prime time TV exercises can be
conducted on programs on different days of the week; different students can explore different
newspapers, different sets of video games, etc.
Option 1
Students can work on assignments within a particular medium (e.g., prime time, Saturday
morning, daytime television) and then assemble their findings in class for a more comprehensive
perspective of that medium.
Option 2
Students can work on assignments from a cross-section of media and then share findings for a
broader picture of the industry as a whole.
Note: It is suggested that instructors contact publishers and radio and TV channels for sample
media kits if these cannot be found online.
44. Exercises in Media Diversity
Exercises
The following exercises provide opportunities to examine media messages. Recording Forms to
aid students in making observations are on succeeding pages. Note that each
form serves more than one assignment. Multiple copies of each form will be needed for each
student or group. The instructions in the text to students are below.
1. Electronic Media: Prime Time TV
Watch prime time television, selecting option a) or option b) from the following options.
Record the information (role, gender, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation and behaviors)
about the principal and secondary characters on the Recording Form. You will need several
copies of the Recording Form for each program. Be sure to use separate forms for each
program.
Option a): Watch two hours of prime time TV drama (6-11 p.m.).
Option b): Watch three different prime time crime dramas (6-11 p.m.).
After making your observations, answer the following questions:
1) What audiences do you think each program targets? Why?
2) What stereotypes and cultural messages do you think the programs send? Explain.
3) What audience do you think the commercials target? Why?
4) What stereotypes and cultural messages do you think the commercials send? Explain.
2. Print Media: Mass Circulation Newspapers
Examine a single issue of a mass circulation daily or Sunday newspaper and record your
observations of the ethnicity, gender, social class, age, sexual orientation and tone (i.e.,
positive, negative, neutral) of the commentary in either option a) the newspaper stories or
option b) the features, on the Recording Form. You will need several copies of the form.
Option a): Newspaper stories.
Option b): Features including wedding, engagement, anniversary and death notices, financial
reporting, clothing, travel articles, etc.
After recording your observations, answer the following questions:
1) Are the groups treated in proportion to their numbers in the population? Explain.
Give examples.
2) Do you think the groups are treated equally in tone (i.e., positive, negative, neutral)?
Explain. Give examples.
44. Exercises in Media Diversity
3) What audience do you think they may target? Explain. Give examples.
4) What stereotypes do you think they may foster? Explain. Give examples.
3. Print Media: Magazines
Visit a library or bookstore. Select three magazines, one from each of the following columns.
Use the Recording Form for your observations of the ethnicity, gender, social class, age,
sexual orientation and the tone of the commentary. You will need several copies of the
Recording Form for each magazine.
Cosmopolitan Brides Business Week
Good Housekeeping Maxim Bicycling
InStyle Vanity Fair Jet
Marie Clair Seventeen Real Simple
Martha Stewart Living Sports Illustrated Time
Shape Travel & Leisure Money
Women’s Day People TV Guide
After recording your observations, analyze the media messages and answer the following
questions for each magazine:
1) What group(s) (gender, class, race/ethnicity, age, social class, sexual orientation, etc.)
does each magazine seem to target? Explain. Give examples.
2) What messages (cultural values, stereotypes, etc.) does each magazine seem to
convey? Explain. Give examples.
3) What group(s) (gender, class, race/ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, etc.) do the
advertisements in each magazine seem to target? Explain. Give examples.
4) What messages (cultural values, stereotypes, etc.) do the advertisements in each
magazine seem to convey? Explain. Give examples.
4. Other Cultural Products (additional assignments not included in text)
Transmission of cultural expectations for both genders begins at birth and continues
throughout childhood. Verify this by making observations of one the following cultural
products. Your instructor will supply Recording Forms to aid you in making your
observations. You will need several copies of the Recording Form.
a) Baby cards. Visit a store selling baby cards and record the gender differences in
color, design and message. Use separate Recording Forms for male and female
cards. Do not use cards from the Internet.
b) Toys. Visit a large toy store and record gender and racial differences in color,
design and message. Use separate Recording Forms for male and female gender–
specific toys.
44. Exercises in Media Diversity
c) Comic books. Examine three different comic books and record social identity
information such as gender and race about the principal and secondary characters.
Use separate Recording Forms for each comic book.
d) Children’s books or elementary school textbooks. Visit a library or elementary
school bookstore and examine the textbooks used in a single grade, or examine
subject textbooks (e.g., social science) for several grades. Record your
observations about the characters on separate Recording Forms for each book.
e) Electronic games. Examine three different video games, noting information about
the principal and secondary characters. Use separate Recording Forms for each
game.
After recording your observations, answer the questions:
1) What stereotypes and cultural messages do you think are being sent? Explain. Give
examples.
2) How are ethnic and racial groups represented? As leading characters? As villains?
Heroes? What are the gender roles? Explain. Give examples.
Additional Assignments (not included in text)
1. Anatomy of an English Language Newspaper
Select one newspaper. One person will examine each of the following parts of the paper for a
single day or issue. Other individuals will examine the paper on different days. Use
Recording Forms to record observations.
i) comic strips
ii) advertising
iii) letters to the editors
iv) features
v) news stories
vi) photographs
Next, assemble group members to combine their observations into a “profile” of the
newspaper.
2. Anatomy of Foreign Language Newspapers
3. Magazine with a Focused Target Market
Select an unusual magazine (such as gardening, handyman, or travel over 50) and analyze it
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4. Television
Select TV networks targeting special groups such as the Home and Garden channel or ESPN
and compare their programming messages and advertising to those of mass TV.
Discussion Notes
Regardless of the assignments selected, a good way to open discussion is to focus on the
stereotypes. First, ask students to report on the stereotypes they uncover. Then check their
observations against the stereotypes reported in the text concerning youth, businessmen, Arabs,
Italian-Americans, public officials, gender, social class, children, and nonwhites.
If observations are concentrated within a single medium, then discussion can focus on in-depth
analysis of that medium. If observations are made across the various media and/or cultural
products, discussion can then focus on the pervasiveness of media influence.
Teaching Tip
These assignments can be related back to Bowman’s Increasing Multicultural Understanding:
Uncovering Stereotypes exercise found in this text. Point out to students the relationships between
these media messages and the sources of their stereotypes as revealed in the Bowman exercise.
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RECORDING FORM FOR PRIME TIME DRAMA AND COMMERCIALS
Character* _ . . Role . Gender Race/Ethnicity Social Group
……….….…..…… ……….…………. ………… ………………..… ……………….….
Observed Behavior:
*Use separate sheets for each character.
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RECORDING FORM
FOR NEWSPAPER STORIES and FEATURES and MAGAZINES
(check): Magazine____ Newspaper____ (check): Stories____ Features _____
Name……………………………………………………..……. Date………………….………
Tone of Commentary (check)
Positive Neutral Negative Comments______
Circle appropriate category:
African-American
Asian-American
Latino
White
Unspecified
Other (please specify)
Circle:
Female
Male
Circle:
Upper class
Middle class
Lower class
Use separate sheets for each story or feature.
44. Exercises in Media Diversity
RECORDING FORM
(check) Baby cards____ Toys____ (check) Male____ Female____
No.* _______ Message Other**_____
*Minimum of 15 cards or toys
**Note color, design and/or anything else that sends a gender message
44. Exercises in Media Diversity
RECORDING FORM FOR COMIC BOOKS AND ELECTRONIC GAMES
(check) Comic Book_____ Electronic Game_____
Date: …………………… Book or Game Name…………………………………………….
V = Violence L = Leadership
Key: A = Action/Aggressiveness E = Ethnicity/Race
D = Decision-making O = Other diversity
Place a check in the appropriate column
each time that behavior occurs
Character* Dominant/ Male/
Name Secondary Female V A D L E O
V A D L E O
*Use separate sheets for each character
45. New Business Opportunities: Changing Consumer Markets
NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES:
CHANGING CONSUMER MARKETS
M. June Allard
Assumption College
Worcester State University, Professor Emerita
Goals
• To increase awareness of the effects of population and demographic changes
• To present an overview of the marketplace of the future
• To explore the nature and trends of major minority markets
Outline
I. The New Consumer Marketplace
II. Asian Americans
A. Asian American Profile
B. Asian Americans from India
C. Asian American Consumer Market
D. Asian American Trends
III. Black/African Americans
A. Black/African American Profile
B. Black/African American Consumer Market
C. Black/African American Trends
IV. Hispanic/Latino Americans
A. Hispanic/Latino American Profile
B. Hispanic/Latino American Market Segments
C. Hispanic/Latino American Consumer Market
D. Hispanic/Latino American Trends
V. Native Americans
A. Native American Profile
B. Native American Consumer Market
VI. Mature Americans
A. Mature American Profile
B. Mature American Market Segments
45. New Business Opportunities: Changing Consumer Markets
C. Mature American Consumer Market
D. Mature American Trends
VII. LGBT Americans (The Gay Market)
A. LGBT American Profile
B. LGBT American Consumer Market
C. LGBT American Trends
VIII. Americans with Disabilities
A. Americans with Disabilities Profile
B. Americans with Disabilities Consumer Market
C. Americans with Disabilities Trends
IX. American Women
A. American Women Profile
B. American Women Market Segments
C. American Women Consumer Markets
D. American Women Trends
X. Summary
Discussion Questions and Answers
1. Which of the diverse consumer markets mentioned in this article has the best future
potential for sales of a) sports cars, b) new technology, and c) energy drinks? Why?
This is a more complex question than it might appear on the surface. While a case could be
developed for many of the consumers in this article, consider the following factors in the
answers:
a) Sports Cars
b) New Technology
• Asian-Americans (including Asian-Indians) have the highest educational level of the
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• African American and Hispanic consumers are heavy Internet users.
• While younger consumers seem to gravitate towards the latest technology for
average of 20 hours a week on the internet and often find this a more convenient
way to shop.
c) Energy Drinks
• Students may think that energy drinks are more apt to be purchased by young sports-
minded consumers, this market segment may already be over saturated.
2. Make a business case for diversity argument for translating your company’s U.S.
website into a foreign language if you are selling a) life insurance, b) designer shoes,
c) computer technology services. In your answer, be sure to select a specific language
that matches the consumer demand for each product.
A business case for diversity argument always involves making diversity work for the benefit
of the company. You first need to know the demographics of your target market, their income
levels, and something about their values. For example:
c) Computer technology services – offering a range of Asian languages may appeal to
the more affluent Asian consumer, but also offering Spanish because it is so popular
may be an additional option.
Whenever foreign language translations are used in marketing promotions, it is vital to have
the material correctly translated to avoid problems and embarrassing mistakes.
45. New Business Opportunities: Changing Consumer Markets
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3. How could individualism and collectivism impact consumer buying decisions?
Consumers from more individualistic cultures tend to make their buying decisions alone or
with only one other person, with the exception of major life purchases like a wedding gown,
or a home.
4. What marketing opportunities do consumers in the Baby Boomer age cohort present?
5. Besides income, how does social class impact buying decisions for products and
services?
People from different social classes have different values, aspirations, and priorities.
Teaching Tips
An additional interesting class discussion could involve asking students what stereotypes about
Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, mature
consumers, LGBTs, people with disabilities, and female consumers impact marketing efforts
targeted at this population.